Monday, May 23, 2011

We like to think OTN has developed a bit of a niche keeping you up to date on the super-size-sculpture genre, so there’s no reason why Wellington’s version of the Hollywood sign should sneak by.

Hard to understand how a ‘Creative Capital’ could put its best creative foot forward, and only manage a copycat. In the end we're talking about a small idea for a big sign that has already been used by provincial towns all over the world. It's also probably the moment to remember that the Hollywood sign was originally an advertisement for a housing development - Hollywood Land.

Put that piece of history together with the City Council’s Economy of the Arts in Wellington report that tells us that advertising and film production make up 84.2 percent of Wellington’s gross cultural production output. It's not hard to see how an idea, even as banal as this one (no doubt dreamed up by the ad and/or PR agency for the city's airstrip) can be eased through the Council processes (you try it sometime) despite overwhelming objections.

Images: Wellington's 'big' idea at work around the world. Thanks B for background stuff.